The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-26
BARNUM AND THE EDITORS.
The Old Snowman Pays Tribute to the Fro
fession-His Relations with the Press.

pose 1ncludeS WnaL LINK III SeHcraio VI eho 49,
ternity. 1 was once in early life an editor
myself, and drifted upon the tripod in a singular
way. Perhaps the fact that 1 once had news
paper under my control. twice. in fact, may
prejudice my opinions, but l think 1 can give
them honestly in spite of that. My first ex-
perience taught me that the editors lot is either
not the easiest one in the world or else that had
a rather bitter portion of it. My real editorial
experience began when L very young and
hardly out of my teens. It was during time OIL
great political excitement, and was entered into
because 1 could not get some very wholesome
articles of mine printed. The articles in ques-
ton were sent to a Danbury weekly paper. ana
set forth what 1 conceived to BIS the dangers
of a sectarian interference which was then ap-
parent in political affairs. Their publication
was refused, and 1 thereupon told the editor
that if he could not print sentiments as JUST
and necessary to be expressed as those nao
submitted to him, would establish a paper In
Danbury and print them myself, which l very
soon did. My press and types were ready !or
the fulfllment of this threat Oct. IL, 1881, on
which day my paper II called it the Herald Oh
FreedomI appeared.
OF course q paper so started for the public
good must have q good deal OF vgor in 1t In
some way; and IL l am the one who says SO;
who ought not to, think mine had. managed
to push its circulation far beyond Danbury, and
it had subscribers in good many States.
ecuted for libel, for I knew little then
about the law of libel know now that 1t
fact found out before 1 had pushed the quill
very long that an editors pen and ink bottle
could put him in Jail for less than half of that
which many editors saying with perfect I'M
punity. In of these libel suits l was simply
fined; a second was withdrawn. and the third.
although it put in Jail for publishing the fact
that a church deacon had been guilty of taking
usury of an orphan boy" had no reason to re-
greet. In those days the maxim was, Inc
greater the truth, the greater the libel" and my
paper started for the sake of telling the
truth. My vindication came very soon, however,
for was brought out of Incarceration In TIL
umphal procession In the very courtroom
where / was convicted the popuace celebrated
my release The confinement itself was made
easy and almost luxurious. and did not prevent
visits from my friends or interfere with my
editorial work.
Icontinued the paper just as long 1 cared
TO- and then sold it to my brother-in law. L
don't know of any episode In my life that has
been more valuable to me than my boy eoltor-
ship. 1t brought often in contact with the
editors of larger and more important papers,
particularly in Connecticut. Gideon Welles, or
Hartford, and Joseph Barber, of New haven,
were among those who were my contemporaries
then, and these men. and others like them, L
knew very well. Once, L remember, when our
Connecticut editors went, many of then together,
to see President Jackson and Martin Van Buren,
on their way through New England was OF the
number Van Buren, said to me when l was IN
troduced: 'Oh, you are Mr.. Barnun, the eoltor
who went to jail" He had very bright twinkle
in his eye when he said it, and merely wished TO
make humorous allusiou. But it showed that
the event by which l was made public charac-
ter had made pretty deep and wide impression,
from the fact that Mr.. Van Buren, brought the
news with him to our State.
In the old museum times, and when began
business which had naturally to do with the pub
lic-which could not, in fact have got along
except through the utmost puoilc favor-my
knowledge of newspapers and their managers
was of the greatest help to me- never thought
their work should be done without paying for, as
so many are apt to think. knew something of
what it cost to successful journal and to
keep 1t successful. These things put in for
tunate relations with editors at once. always
knew Just what 1 wanted and just what ought
to pay for it, and l had always rather pay
trihe too much than to economic III my print
ing. / have schemes coming to me every now
and then, showing me how l can get public
notice more cheaply than L do, and presenting
the most alluriug methods for either underpay
ing the papers which serve me-by a wholesale
deal-or else taking from them a certain part of
their legitimate advertising by spreading my
announcements in part in some new way.
To all of these schemes have had but one
answer. ] can't afford to save money here. L
must use the press And must use II for all
it is worth No doubt will save thousands at
first by some of the devices and ways suggested.
but this is economy that doesn't pay. IL am
ever profoundly thankful for any Instrumental
tiles it is for the editor and his paper. They
furnish the wind for my sails. L don't know
that l have coined maxim that Is worth
repeating, but if l ever have 1t is this: Il owe
my success to printers ink"
In the old museum days met Gen. James
Watson Webb, of the Courier and ENQUIRER,
Major Mordecai Noah. of the Times and Messen-
ger and James Gordon Bennett of the Herald,
daily. Night after night at the midnight hour,
and later, 1 crawled up these several news
paper staircases to put in these jour
mails some fresh and startling announce
ment about my business I did
this after the editor had gone home. but the
foreman in the composing room had some au-
thority then and would often put the matter l
offered in type make an announcement for
me. / knew Colonel Stone. of the Commercial
Advertiser, and Mr.. Bryant, of the Post, Also
and l could tell good many anecdotes OF these
men, but some of them might not be In place in
this brief letter. l remember that the Sun.
when | was q newcomer to New York was pub
lished by Mr.. Day, who was brother-in-law
of Mr. Moses Y. Beach, who followed him, after
which event Mr.. Day published an immense folio
blanket sheet the like of which bad never seen
before or since, called Brother Jonathan 1t
was the size of the biggest sort of a bed quilt
folded, and it offered illustrations. Every Christ
and New Years 1t appeared and was looked
for with interest.
suppose when Mr. Day edited the Sun some
witty pharagraphist might have said that 1.-The
order of nature is reversed. Usually the
sun makes the day, but in New York, Day
makes the SUM-" But the witty paragraphist
was not common or nimple then as he Is now
The papers more serious half a century
ago. Among the Sunday papers then were the
Sunday Atlas and the Sunday Mercury. /
should have said before that knew james and
Erastus Brooks and Horace Greeley well. and
had for years the most agreeable personal rela-
tions with them
One of the most prominent of the editors /
have mentioned, whose name it is not necessary
to give here-once offered me full partnership
in his successful journal. There were reasons
then though why l could not accept this
tractive offer. / did have some relations
with a weekly illustrated paper in New York;
but l was too much engaged in other matters
then to make it what undivided attention
would have accomplished. Nothing is great
a success or so great failure a newspaper.
1 might almost say it Is like the little girl of
the nursery jingle with the curl upon her
forehead"
When she's good she's very very good,
And when she's bad she's horrid.
I can honestly say that with all my years of
dealing and contact with editors l have never
had an important difference with any of the
craft in a matter concerning the business of the
profession. I did once have a controversy with
an editor in purely commercial matter. not
lating him editor or the newspaper
business itself. But that was ended long ago l